Method and system for evaluation of sensor observations

Abstract

Method and sensor observation system ( 200 ), for reporting observations to data users ( 204 ) based on sensor data collected ( 2:1 ) from a network of sensors ( 202 ). A first observation report that originates from a sensor in the network, is provided ( 2:4 ) to a first data user and a rating with respect to quality of the first observation report is received ( 2:5 ) from the first data user. Rating information is then created ( 2:8 ) based on the received rating, and a second observation report originating from the same sensor and comprising said rating information is provided ( 2:10 ) to a second data user. The comprised rating information thus indicates reliability of the second observation report. Thereby, the second data user is enabled to estimate and use the second observation report depending on its reliability as indicated by the rating information.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in a sensor observation system for reporting observations to data users, said observations originating from data collected from a network of sensors, the method comprising:
 storing sensor information that describes sensors in the network of sensors; 
 storing user information that describes the data users; 
 receiving and storing observation data of an observation from one of the sensors in the network of sensors; 
 tagging the stored observation data with stored sensor information that corresponds to the sensor; 
 providing a first observation report of the observation data originating from the sensor to a first data user of the data users; 
 receiving a rating of the first observation report with respect to quality of the report from the first data user; 
 linking the received rating from the first data user with the stored observation data from the sensor; 
 tagging the received rating with stored user information corresponding to the first data user; 
 creating rating information pertaining to reliability of said sensor, based on the rating received from the first data user; 
 providing a second observation report of any observation data originating from said sensor to a second data user, the second observation report comprising said rating information to indicate reliability of the second observation report; and 
 monitoring the sensor observation system by triggering a check of one of the sensors in the network of sensors based on said rating information. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second observation report refers to the same observation as the first observation report. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said rating information refers to an aggregated rating of multiple ratings of observation reports on said same observation. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second observation report refers to a different observation than the first observation report. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said rating information refers to an aggregated rating of multiple ratings of previous observation reports on different observations made by said sensor. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said aggregated rating is updated whenever a rating of an observation report originating from said sensor is received. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the collected sensor data is logged as observations linked to stored sensor information. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the observations are tagged with any of: measured property, measured value, measured medium, and time of observation. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the rating information comprises generating a mean value of all received ratings of any observation from the sensor. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein tagging of the received rating with the stored user information comprises using a pointer to the stored user information for the first user. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor information describes a location or installation date of the sensor. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user information describes a role of the data user. 
     
     
       13. A sensor observation system configured to report observations to data users, said observations originating from data reported from a network of sensors, comprising:
 a storage device adapted to store sensor information that describes sensors in the network of sensors, and to store user information that describes the data users; 
 an observation unit adapted to collect and store observation data of an observation from one of sensors in the network of sensors and to tag the stored observation data with stored sensor information that corresponds to the sensor; 
 a presentation unit adapted to provide a first observation report of the observation data originating from the sensor to a first data user of the data users; and 
 a rating unit adapted to receive a rating of the first observation report with respect to quality of the report from the first data user, to link the received rating from the first data user with the stored observation data from the sensor, to tag the received rating with stored user information corresponding to the first data user, and to create rating information pertaining to reliability of said sensor based on the rating received from the first data user, 
 wherein the presentation unit is further adapted to provide a second observation report of any observation data originating from said sensor to a second data user, the second observation report comprising said rating information to indicate reliability of the second observation report, and 
 wherein the rating unit is further configured to monitor the sensor observation system by triggering a check of one of the sensors in the network of sensors based on said rating information. 
 
     
     
       14. The sensor observation system according to  claim 13 , wherein the second observation report refers to the same observation as the first observation report. 
     
     
       15. The sensor observation system according to  claim 14 , wherein said rating information refers to an aggregated rating of multiple ratings of observation reports on said same observation. 
     
     
       16. The sensor observation system according to  claim 13 , wherein the second observation report refers to a different observation than the first observation report. 
     
     
       17. The sensor observation system according to  claim 16 , wherein said rating information refers to an aggregated rating of multiple ratings of previous observation reports on different observations made by said sensor. 
     
     
       18. The sensor observation system according to  claim 17 , wherein the rating unit is further adapted to update said aggregated rating whenever a rating of an observation report originating from said sensor is received. 
     
     
       19. The sensor observation system according to  claim 13 , wherein the observation unit is further adapted to log the collected sensor data as observations linked to stored sensor information. 
     
     
       20. The sensor observation system according to  claim 19 , wherein the observation unit is further adapted to tag the observations with any of:
 measured property, measured value, measured medium, and time of observation.